Hand muscle question

[hbarrett]

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is the place to be asking this, so if anyone else knows a more appropriate place, please let me know. I am trying to find an answer to a physiological question regarding my hand. I am a professional musician, but for the last year or so for various reasons I have for the most part stopped practising in general and have stopped practising technique altogether. I am still playing a fair bit though.

I have noticed that I have started playing with some tension, which I guess was bound to happen. Lately I have particularly been noticing that the muscle in between my thumb and my palm on my right hand has been getting pretty tense. The thing that concerns me is that I can feel under the skin a hard kind of "string" running across from the thumb to the palm, like part of the muscle has gone hard, which isn't there on the other hand.

It doesn't hurt but I was wondering if anyone had any idea what it might mean and if there's anything I can do to fix whatever problem it might be a sign of?

Thanks

[pies]

There aren't any muscles in the fingers, only tendons.  My guess is that it's tendinitis or some other tendon condition.  I'd have a doctor check it out.

[gerry]

Just a thought - look closely at how you are functioning on the computer. Is that your "mouse hand"?

[guendola]

There aren't any muscles in the fingers, only tendons. My guess is that it's tendinitis or some other tendon condition. I'd have a doctor check it out.

there is a big fat muscle connecting thumb and palm and another one to stiffen the outer side - important for Karate for example. These  two muscles seem to work as opponents, which means that their functions are related. It is easy to find pianists (rather non-pro's) where the small finger jumps each time the thumb plays a note.

See here for a picture: https://www.notsoboringlife.com/grip-strength/guide-to-grip-strength/

I think independance of the fingers is the clue because in order to obtain that, you need to be able to relax the fingers while the others play. When grabbing things, the thumb always counteracts the other fingers and it still tries when the fingers play piano.

A good exercise is to put all five fingers on consecutive keys and play random notes. Make sure that all fingers except for the one playing are as relaxed as possible. The playing finger should relax right after playing the note. You can also press down all keys and lift one finger instead. This is the start of another series of exercises: Hold down two keys, play with the other fingers, then three and four..

[thalbergmad]

Good job bernhard aint here anymore.

Thal

[teresa_b]

There certainly are muscles in the palm, as the poster above noted.  I would have an orthopedist look at it.  There is a condition in which a contracture of a tendon can occur in the hand, and it could prevent you from playing in time.  Check it out!

Teresa